


Blood Slut

by ilmv



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Blood Drinking, Darkward, F/M, Multi, Other, Serial Killers, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 07:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2015916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilmv/pseuds/ilmv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward is a killer of killers, but that doesn't make him a good guy. He doesn't need a human girl to lure his prey - but Bella doesn't need to know that. Bella however has her own motives, which Edward can't completely see or understand. Who is using who? Will an old flame tear them apart or finally get them together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Selfish Needs

As the loud click-clack of her high heels running through the alley drew nearer, I could sense her frantic heart racing. Bella knew she couldn't scream. She turned toward the beacon of light in the distance, a fluourescent light fixture on the side of one of the old brick buildings. A dead end. I watched as she panicked and tripped over something, losing one of her shoes. The one who had been following her caught up with and overpowered her, grabbing her neck from behind and shoving her face into the brick wall. "You're mine now, bitch," he breathed into her ear with his filthy, drunken, salivating mouth, pinning her against the wall with his heavyset frame, his right hand around her neck almost strangling her, his left struggling to remove her dress.

The monster in me was ready to come out and play.

My teeth went through his throat, meeting no resistance. I tore through the tender flesh with a pleasant and familiar squish sound, and then- bliss. Relief as I savored fresh warm human blood for the first time in a week. A few seconds later the hand around her throat went limp as the man's body slumped forward onto her, pinning her against the wall. "What the fuck?" she said in a voice full of anger and revulsion, turning to push the disgusting man's corpse away from her. "It took you long enough, Edward. That asshole could have killed me," she scowled, rubbing her bruised neck and adjusting her clothes. I swallowed the last drop of blood in his body, savoring the taste for a moment. Bella knew it wasn't true, though. I would never let that happen. "I just wanted to give you a little scare. Look at the company you keep, you need one," I laughed, handing her the lost shoe. The anger melted away from her face as I caught her admiring me. She loved the way I looked after a fresh kill. I saw my reflection in her thoughts, my wild crimson eyes full of vitality, lips stained with fresh human blood. In her mind, I was never more beautiful than in the moments after. I flung the dead man to the ground, kicking the bloodless cadaver out of the way and into a trash pile.

_You're so beautiful._

"I'm beautiful, huh?" I said. Bella was used to the fact that I could read her mind and she barely had to say a word. Her thoughts tended to be impure - generally and about me especially. She caressed my face tenderly, while licking the little trail of blood from the corner of my mouth. The feeling of her warmth on my stone skin was still shockingly pleasurable after all this time. "Mmm, tastes so good, doesn't it?" she said between kissing my bloodstained lips. Isabella Swan was the most unusual human I'd ever come across. There was nothing outwardly remarkable about her, just an ordinary girl. Pretty, sure, but not extraordinarily so. What shocked me about her was her mind- it was almost every bit as sick and twisted as my own. Almost. No human could hope to match me in that department, though a few of my prey came close to it.

"I hope for your sake he wasn't diseased," I joked.

"Like it matters," Bella laughed sarcastically, thinking yet again of my half-hearted promise to make her into one of my kind. I rolled my eyes slightly at the thought. It would be nice to have a permanent companion, but I'm not sure she's the one. In fact, I was a little frightened by the idea. I hunted out of necessity, while she was here for "fun."

She shrugged off her jacket as I reached under her dress, caressing her thigh, moving higher. Her steamy warmth aroused me. I could feel her heat bounce off of me. I pressed my growing erection against her, my body colder than the fresh corpse on the ground. A normal person would be repulsed by it, but she was not normal. Her deep chocolate brown eyes narrowed and filled with lust. She loved my coldness. It was the strangest thing. My smooth, marble alienness was erotic, as was the way my touch seemed to singe her, hot and cold like burning frostbite. There I was in her mind, the very definition of pleasure mixed with pain. Odd girl, indeed.

We were both very aware of how unnatural and odd our relationship was. I didn't need her to lure anyone to their death. I could hunt very well on my own, perhaps even more efficiently. I could pick off rapists and killers well enough, as I had been doing so for decades. I was an expert. But she didn't need to know that, not when I got what I wanted from her. Before you think ill of me for that, I should say a word or two about my kind and why I felt this arrangement was necessary. You see, when my kind hunt normally, we use our sex appeal to lure our prey to us. Sexual release and food go hand in hand. Hunting and sex is inextricably linked, down to our very DNA. My prey, however, was not the type I would ever have sex with. Disgusting losers, hideous beasts, revolting in every way possible - and male at that. Not that I'd never done so out of curiousity, mind you, but these men were definitely not my type. My kill mode and sex mode engaged simultaneously, like switches next to one another flipped at the same time. If I didn't satisfy my physical sexual needs immediately after satisfying my hunger, I feared I might do something drastic. I feared I might do what my prey had done, and drag some helpless woman off the street to defile her. In all my evil, that wasn't something I wanted to do. Besides, I wasn't interested in taking unnecessary risks, and I'd much prefer my victims be predators themselves. There's something in their blood that satisfies me, as though when I consumed the monster in them I made myself an even stronger monster. Illogical perhaps, but it had a psychological effect on me regardless. So this arrangement I had with the girl was a perfect fit. In some way, I also liked having at least one person I could share my hunting with, an eager audience of one. I knew from her thoughts that she loved the thrill of it. She loved to watch me hunt and kill and loved what came after almost as much as I did. Bella couldn't possibly need it as badly as I.

As much as we enjoyed one another, it surely wasn't love keeping us together. Just desire, need.

"Stop fucking teasing me," she said, reaching for the bulge in my pants. "You know what I want." Adrenaline wasn't the only thing she was addicted to. I backed her up against the dumpster and grabbed a fistful of her long dark hair. "I'm gonna fuck you harder than that maggot-dick could ever dream," I threatened, ripping her soaked panties off easily. I could feel her heart racing as my smooth long fingers drifted softly over her slippery wet spot, barely touching her. Oh how I loved to tease her, make her beg for it. She hitched her right leg around me, desperately attempting to grind down on my hand.

"Please," she whimpered.

"Not until you tell me how bad you want me," I teased.

_I mean it. Stop playing around. Fuck me. You can't fool me, I know you want it even more than I do._

Oh, but I could fool her easily and did on a regular basis. But she was right about one thing: she could never need sex as much as I did. There was always a worse danger than not arriving quickly enough to stop the would-be rapist. The real danger was myself. Watching me kill was one thing, but that was her real kink. She knew on some level that I constantly fought back the primal urge to kill her and it excited her more than anything else possibly could. I wondered how much she realized this though. Did she realize how close I had come to ending her so many times? I tugged on her hair, pulling her head back, exposing her neck. The tempting blue veins stood out against her pale, translucent white flesh, glowing under the flickering alley lights. I breathed in her delectable scent, licking her neck and searing her skin with the venom in my mouth. The scent of the blood in her veins pulsing just inches away from my face mixed with the scent of her hot, dripping lust, driving me mad. I shouldn't tempt myself like this. Why must I torment myself further? I should be quick about it. I wasn't exactly hungry after draining the fat rapist who now lay in a crumpled pile, but I could always go for seconds. And her blood was far more appetizing to me. I grabbed her neck, holding her against the wall not unlike my victim had been doing just moments ago.

"You know," I whispered, "I would give anything... to sink my fucking teeth into you right now."

Her heartbeat picked up. I heard her blood pulsing just inches from my face, her pulse a heavy drumbeat ringing in my ears. She moaned. "Oh, Edward..."

She thought I was just playing with her! Silly human. If she only knew.

Bella unbuttoned my pants as I kissed her hard and tried to push the thought of killing her out of the forefront my mind, while still letting it linger somewhere in my subconscious. I'd be lying if I said the monster in me wasn't extremely aroused by the thought. She thought I tasted good, the venom was cold and sweet. I pushed my pants down around my thighs and she quickly yanked at my underwear. I was so fucking hard, almost as though she could breathe in the general direction of my cock and make me cum. That was the only bad thing about these passionate encounters- just how quickly they were over. She overwhelmed me every time. Even so, I was her perfect lover, always knowing exactly what she wanted. She liked it hard and fast, and I was always happy to oblige.

_Taste me, baby. Taste how fucking wet I am for you._

Was she insane? She wanted a vampire to eat her pussy? I started thinking about it and got even more turned on. I wondered how would it feel to bite her there, right while she was cumming for me. She slowly rubbed my cock, glistening marble in her warm hands. Fuck that felt good. What she lacked in strength she made up for in temperature. I grabbed my cock and teased her clit with the tip.

"Don't you want this instead?" I asked, smiling crookedly. She moaned.

_Yes. But lick me first. Tongue me fast, I want my cum in your mouth._

"Isabella," I said, teasing her. "You really do have a deathwish."

I lifted her up, bracing her back against the dumpster, her legs spread over my shoulders. Holding her with my left hand and my right hand on my cock. Her scent was thick in the air and she was dripping wet. I teased her clit with my tongue. She was salty, juicy, and hot as I explored her. Fuck. Why hadn't we done this before? She moaned as I flicked my tongue against her clit faster and faster. She tasted so good. I thought again about how sweet it would be to bite into her sweetest, most sensitive spot, drinking her blood and her cum as she screamed. I felt the monster in me starting to win, wanting to do just that. But she started twisting her little hands in my hair, she rocked back and forth, her legs twitching uncontrollably. I snapped out of my monsterous trance when two voices hit me simultaneously, her thoughts and her words echoing.

_Oh Edward! Make me cum! Don't stop!_

Oh Edward! Make me cum! Don't stop!

Too bad. I didn't want her to cum yet. Did she forget? This was about me. I grabbed her down from the dumpster and thrust her hot pussy down on my cock. I felt a deep, hissing moan escape my lips. Fuck. Why did she have to feel so good? She wrapped her legs around my waist and I continued thrusting her up and down, lifting her small body easily with one hand. I rubbed her breasts, her pert nipples stiffening at my cold touch. I pulled her hair back and kissed her hard, her lips, her neck. God, her neck. I started tempting myself all over again, licking it, admiring the tangled pattern of blue veins under pale flesh. I grabbed her throat, careful not to crush her completely and growled at her.

"Look what you're doing to me, Bella!" I snarled. "You keep doing it!"

_Oh Edward... What?_

I tightened my grip. "You're tempting me. I want to fucking eat you."

I saw my reflection in her thoughts. My angry red eyes piercing her. I felt the sting of pain she felt, her pulse beating wildly. She was scared of me, finally. So scared, and so turned on. And it made me want to cum inside of her right then and there. She moaned uncontrollably. Moaned my name. I could feel her whole body tensing up, her pussy tightening even more around my cock, slick and dripping. I thrust faster and harder into her, making her cum, convulsing and pulsating around me. She screamed out my name but I covered her mouth with my hand, her moans muffled, her eyes closed in ecstasy. I felt myself get close, my body tightening. I started feeling the warmth spread out from my cock throughout my body, up and down my spine. It was the only time I could feel warmth inside, and it felt incredible. I almost felt alive again. I moaned deeply as my orgasm hit me like a rolling wave, crashing down upon me as my dick pumped lukewarm venom inside her. It was unreal how much came out of me, until I filled her completely. I felt it drip out of her and roll down my leg. I stayed inside of her for a moment, not wanting this moment of bliss to end even though it already had. I finally pulled out. Bella was exhausted and barely able to move her legs, while I only felt an extreme sense of relief throughout my being. I was fully satisfied- for now.

We pulled our clothes back on, unsure of what to say. It was always a little awkward between us once the desire was satiated, once the tension was gone. Even in her exhaustion, she had only one thought on her mind.

_When? When, Edward?_

She kept begging me to change her. Bella wanted to kill with me, to experience my heightened senses, to feel what I felt when I watched the life go out of a human monster's eyes. She wanted to be a monster, too. But the truth was, I liked her like this way too much. It was sick and wrong, but I didn't care. I liked her being a fragile human with a hot body. I loved being in control of her. I loved the temptation and the torture of being so close to her. With her I was always on the edge. I was truly as addicted to the rush and the danger of our situation as she was.

"When are you gonna change me, baby? You know I want to do what you do," she complained.

I knew. I knew all about her fantasies. Did I want a hunting partner? Did I need one? I picked up the rapist's pale, blood drained corpse like a ragdoll and slung it over my shoulder. "Not tonight," I said, flinging the body into the dumpster. "But soon." I smiled to myself, unsure if I was really going to keep my promise or finally let the monster in me have his way.


	2. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward plans a hunt & Bella shows up to help.

It had been a week since our last hunting trip, and I knew Bella wasn't the kind of girl who just waited by the phone for someone to call her. What I didn't expect was for her to show up at my apartment in the middle of the night, half naked and drunk. Was she crazy? I knew she liked danger but this? I wasn't dying of thirst just yet, but it was still a huge risk. Why did she have such a deathwish? Against my better judgment I let her in but backed away from her, keeping my distance. She was such easy prey, and just the right flavor. Still, I enjoyed our activities far too much to end her life. I doubt I would ever find someone as ready, willing and able as Bella to help satisfy my needs. From a human perspective she was completely mental, but for my purposes she was just right. Bella's mind was strange in another way. Her past was sort of a blur. It was like a VHS tape she had taped over. Some of the original footage popped up now and then, but it was cloudy and faded with time. Buried memories, I thought. Definitely bad ones.

"Thanks for letting me in, now how- why are you over there? Come sit with me," she slurred.

I stood in the corner uncomfortably, trying not to breathe.

"Um, no. I'm not going anywhere near you until I've hunted again," I say.

"Oh good. We're going hunting again," said Bella, as she started trying to wriggle out of her dress on my sofa.

"Not until you sober up, sweet tits," I say. "And stop trying to take your clothes off."

Bella looked up at me with eyes full of chagrin. She sighed, rolled over and passed out. The next few hours were torture. I stayed away from the living room as much as possible, trying to distract myself with plotting out my next hunt. There were quite a few potential victims to choose from, mostly local perverts who could be wiped out without anyone noticing. I only wanted the ones no one knew about so the cops wouldn't come sniffing for them. I'd narrowed tonight's prey down to 3 possibilities: a pedophile and 2 serial rapists. I wasn't that thirsty but maybe it would be fun to take them all out.

Then I heard Bella dreaming. I ran in a blur to the living room to watch her sleep. I sort of envied her that. I missed unconsciousness and being about to lose myself in a dream. Instead I was constantly aware of everything around me to the millionth degree. I could sense the slightest change in Bella's mood, her body temperature, her hormones. She moaned softly in her sleep.

"Mmm.. Edward," she sighed.

Fuck.

Why did she have to come here tonight? She was going to ruin me. Bella was intelligent in all other aspects except one: she was too stupid to stay away from me when I haven't hunted. I guess I should find it flattering, but right now it's extremely annoying. Arousing. Deadly.

Bella squirmed in her sleep on my sofa, kicking the ratty old sheet off of herself. I liked her little green dress and how little of her it could contain. I couldn't see what she was dreaming but I knew what she wanted even as she slept. She could keep some secrets from me, but her body could not. I paced back and forth, wondering if I could touch her, pleasure her, enjoy her while she slept and manage to control myself. Self control. I used to get some sort of sick pleasure out of that - denying myself what was most essential. Seems silly to me now. I thought I was being strong by resisting my temptations, until I had the epiphany that severed myself from my old life forever. "What point is there in pretending to be good when there's no good in me?" was the question I asked myself. I couldn't find an answer. All the goodness I had died when I did. It dried up and evaporated into smoke. When my creator's venom coursed through my mortal body and choked the life from it, all was lost except this pale reflection. This empty shell was all I would ever be. I lamented this for so long until that day of acceptance. I was born again- again.

There was only one reason I hadn't killed Bella: I liked her too much. As appetizing as her blood was to me, I knew I could get blood anywhere. There are and always will be plenty of humans to pick off that no one will miss. Bella I would miss. Her life meant something to me. If it didn't, she would be just another bloodless corpse I left in my wake.

I hovered over her, watching her closely for any signs that she was coming out of her sleep. I wanted nothing more than to fuck her while she slept, but I knew I couldn't. The monster in me would awaken, and she would die. I pulled the sheet she had kicked off back over her. I felt protective of her. She jolted awake suddenly and stared up at me.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a yawn.

I backed away.

"Nothing," I said.

I'd hate for her to think I'd gone all soft and sentimental on her. Had I?

_What time is it? How long was I asleep? Do you have anything to drink here?_

"You've been asleep for 7 hours. It's around 6am now. And you of all people should know I don't have anything to eat or drink here, Bella. The world out there is my buffet," I say with a grin. Bella laughed.

_What were you going to do? Did you want to fuck me? You know that's why I came here last night._

"Of course I wanted to. I always want to. But you know what will happen," I scolded. I felt anger building up in my words. "How many times do I have to explain this to you? I thought you were smart! Don't come here uninvited ever again. This isn't the safest neighborhood for you to be wandering through alone. And I managed to control myself last night but I kept thinking about it. I'm tempted even now when we're having a friendly chat about the time."

I felt Bella's heartbeat quicken.

"Bella, even if we were sitting in a cute little restaurant surrounded by friendly people chatting and laughing, and you were smiling and drinking coffee, I'd be staring at your neck thinking of how much I'd like to bite into it and suck the life out of you. I'd be plotting the best way to kill you and make sure there were no witnesses left alive. Don't you understand this about me yet?" I knew she did. She just didn't care. No, it was even worse than that: she liked it.

Bella tried to close off her thoughts to me. She did that at times when she felt something embarrassing she didn't want me to see.

"Hmm.." she said after a minute.

_I'm sorry I came here, I wasn't exactly thinking straight. I just really, really wanted you last night._

I smiled. "You'll have me tonight."

"We're hunting tonight?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Yes, I'm hunting. You're just watching. I've got it narrowed down to 3. If I choose the pedo I won't need you to do anything but wait for me. The other 2 are like the last one."

"Oh, please choose one of the rapists. You know how much I like to help," she said, her voice full of hope.

Yes, I knew. Why, though? And then it dawned on me. Bella's secret- her hidden thoughts, her taped over memories, the eagerness to kill those who raped. Bella had met a monster or two in her life. She was out for revenge. Whatever, it wasn't my business. If she wanted me to know, she'd tell me. She'd never asked me about my past so I wasn't going to pry into her's. Still the idea of someone hurting my... pet?... angered me. I was getting protective of her, maybe a little too attached for my own good.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Nothing, just trying to choose my meal," I said. "I think I do have a taste for rapist tonight."

Bella smiled.

_And when can I join you? Have you decided that yet?_

I hadn't. I don't think she understood how difficult that would be for me. I could, in theory, bite her and resist the temptation to drain her of her blood. That part I could probably manage. I could, in theory, deal with 3 days of her being in a state of complete physical and mental torment as my venom destroyed every living cell in her body. I could, because I'd lived through it myself. What worried me was dealing with newborn vampire Bella- a creature crazed with thirst for human blood. What would her temperment be like? She was a strange human, she was bloodthirsty for a human. As a vampire, she would be unpredictable. Even with all my self control, my strength, my discipline I wasn't sure I could control her- she would be stronger than me for an entire year. The thought of vampire Bella was one of the only things that frightened me, albeit a slightly. But I was intrigued as well. I would have an eternal companion, a hunting partner as powerful as myself who didn't fear what was dark in the world, in herself and in me. There was the stinging realization that our relationship, as is, could not last. I imagine she would grow out of it eventually. Her need for revenge would fade with time, as would my interest in her.

"I can't tell you exactly when. But soon," I say, hoping she'll believe me. I was starting to believe it myself.

I opened the blinds to find an overcast morning, perfect weather for a leisurely drive to get my hungover human pet some coffee while we plotted out our next caper. Bella found her shoes we creeped out of the apartment to the rusty Volvo, hoping not to run into any of the unsavory types that populated my neighborhood. I was not in the mood to deal with drugged out zombies so early in the morning. The dilapidated buildings pockmarked with bullet holes and empty shops told the tale of how crack, meth and gang warfare had taken their toll on this once peaceful part of town. As ugly, dangerous and depressing as it was, it was a perfect place for me to hide.

"I want to show you where he lives," I said, turning down one of the more destitute streets in this neighborhood of ruined houses and overgrown vacant lots. He was close by. I could pick up the tone of his thoughts even at a distance. I tried not to listen too closely.

Bella's eyes lit up. "You've picked one for tonight, then?" she asked, taking the last sip of her coffee. "Yes. He's one of the worst of the worst. Doesn't just rape, he kidnaps and tortures them, too," I said. "His backyard... they're buried there when he's done with them. 9 shallow graves. Some smaller than the others." Bella's joy turned to anger. "He does this to.. children too?" she asked, her voice shaking. "His youngest victim was 11," I say, as I park the car down a pothole-ridden alley between a boarded up crackhouse and an abandoned shopping center. "His house is just around the corner from here."

I felt the rage burning inside of Bella. Her reaction to my words was physical, her stomach turned, her chest tightened. I knew she'd like nothing more than to help me kill this guy, or do it all by herself- slowly and painfully. She felt very strongly about what we were doing. Did she know how I felt? Did she know I didn't really care? Maybe it's better that way. Let her think I'm some sort of vigilante, a comic book antihero brought to life- so to speak. This isn't a personal cause for me, though. The human victims of my prey never interested me, and I had always tried to tune out the more gruesome details. In truth, I just enjoyed hunting other hunters. They're scum- nobody comes looking for these guys, which suits me just fine. I suppose in a way I was contributing something to society as well. I was performing a function nobody else was willing or able to. I knew who the monsters were, and I erased them. That was incidental to my main purpose of keeping myself fed, of course, but if it made Bella feel good...

"I can't wait, Edward," Bella said finally after a moment of awkward silence, her petite hands balled into fists. "I can't wait to watch him die."


	3. Easy Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrillseeker Bella gets deeper into Edward's world of hunting humans, and puts herself at risk as the bait. A face from Edward's past comes back to haunt him, throwing a wrench into his plans for the night.

"Is that all we'll need?" Bella asked as I carried out a few large containers of kerosene from the self storage shed to the Volvo. I nodded. I was making preparations for the only part of killing I found loathesome: destroying the evidence of my crime. Arson in this neighborhood was an everyday occurance and it's not shocking when someone's charred remains are found inside. A drug deal gone wrong, a jilted ex, a gang thing- any number of reasons could explain it. Nobody thinks "vampires." The next day a news anchor would say something like "An unitentified male was found burned inside a home, his cause of death is still under investigation." It was quickly forgotten, another dead scumbag, a boring statistic. The police didn't waste time on anyone in this neighborhood. Not enough resources and not a high priority to solve crimes here. I'd be surprised if they even stayed around long enough to locate the shallow graves left behind in the backyard.

"I'm glad you chose him," she said with a smile.

"It wasn't for your benefit, Bella. He was the easiest one to deal with on my list of potentials," I lied a little. I did want to make her happy, if only to get her off my back a bit.

_So... how am I supposed to help you with this one?_

"He's different from the last one," I explain. "He hangs out at the bar down the street. You'll have to get close to him. You'll have to go inside his house with him." Bella stared at me in shock. She was into danger and thrills, but maybe this was too much. I knew nothing would happen to her, I could see and hear everything. I knew what he would do before he did it and I was faster and stronger than any human could be. "I'll protect you, of course. I'll be right outside while you're distracting him." I could see the wheels in Bella's devious mind turning but she closed her thoughts to me.

"Why do you need me to distract him, anyway? Can't you just sneak inside and kill him?" she asked.

Oh shit.

"Well," I lied as smoothly as I could, "it's a lot easier if he's distracted. And you're very distracting, Bella."

"Ok, so it's like a ritual thing for you..." she said.

Meh... Had she been reading those silly books about serial killers again? She left a paperback book in my car and I gave it a once-over. It made me chuckle. The human killers in her books were so melodramatic with their rituals and trophies- all form and little function. For me it was function above all else: I was thirsty.

"No. Well, maybe a little..." I admit. She has a point. "It makes it more enjoyable for me. One moment they think they're about to get away with something, they're about to prey upon you. And in a split second they become the prey. Have you ever watched nature documentaries? It's like a rat creeping up on an insect, only to be devoured by a poisonous snake."

Bella smiled at my comparison. "You're definitely a snake, Edward."

Bella and I sit in the car, talking over our plot for the night. She's still wearing her green dress from the night before, certainly she'll have no trouble attracting attention.

"What's he look like? How will I know it's him?" she asked.

"I'll describe him to you. Plus, you'll know. You know that feeling you get when you're with me?" I lean closer to her. "When I'm close to you? The sudden pounding of your heart?" And as if on cue, Bella's heartbeat picked up. "The fear I can smell on you?" I breathe her in, she is delicious. "You'll feel something like that. You know when you're in the presense of a monster, Bella. He's a predator, but not as good a one as I am," I smiled. Bella put her hand on mine and leaned in to kiss me. I backed away cautiously.

I sigh. "Bella, what are you doing?"

"I don't know. Being stupid, I guess," she answered, looking down.

_You don't know how hard it is for me to just be around you. I want you so bad.._

I laugh. "Oh, but I do know what it's like! Trust me, it's far more difficult for me than it is for you. You can't even begin to imagine how difficult it is to simply be in your presence like this, in a enclosed space, surrounded by your scent. The way _I want you_ , though... you don't want that. Do you?"

Bella shook her head.

"Good. Then control your thoughts, and yourself and don't do anything stupid."

I continue relaying the plan. "I'll be able to see you, hear you and him. I'll know what he's thinking, anticipate his every move. If he tries something with you, I'll be there in a split second. You know that, right?" She nods, but I sense her fear. Maybe this is a bad idea, sending Bella off as bait needlessly. She does find it thrilling, I know that much from her somewhat closed off thoughts. I drive us to the alley around the corner from our prey's house. He's getting ready to leave for the evening. Bella is nervous about this. She'll be there alone.

_Edward, come in with me. Please?_

"Bella, I can't very well go into a bar and not drink anything."

She frowns. I drive to us to the run down dive bar this asshole frequents and park off to the side.

"If you made me like you, my safety wouldn't be an issue," she said.

Well, she had a point there. But I'm selfish and I want her to be vulnerable and human. She's more attractive that way.

"Why don't you want to change me into a... vampire?" she had trouble even saying the word.

"You don't know how hard it is. I can barely resist you right now! If I tasted your blood..." I said.

"What? What would happen?" she asked.

"You know what would happen. I wouldn't be able to stop and I'd drink all your blood and you would be dead."

_Do it when you're not thirsty, then._

She knew and understood more than I ever thought she did, and it was annoying me. It also made me wonder if she was right all along. Maybe she would be better as a true partner in crime. Bella as a vampire, what would that be like? She was smarter than I had given her credit for, that's for sure. It was her mind that troubled me, though. Her thoughts were often so violent, she wanted to lash out at the world. She'd be uncontrollable at least for the first year. I'm not sure I have the patience to deal with a newborn, a vicious one at that. She'd probably tear up the city, and then where would I be? I would have created a monster, and I would have to destroy her or be destroyed on her account.

Maybe I was just being pessimistic.

"Do you really want this?" I asked.

"Yes. You know I do. I've seen what you do, how you live... if that's what you want to call it, and I know I can handle it. There's so many people out there who need to be..." she stopped.

"You think I do this as some sort of crusade against evil, but you're wrong, Bella. You're so wrong," I confessed. "I am one of them. I am evil. It's in my nature, and if you become like me, that will be your nature. Don't you get it? I'm a predator. A soulless killer."

"Then why don't you just kill the easy ones? Find some random person and kill them if it doesn't matter to you!" she said.

"I wasn't raised that way," I said.

It's true. I was created with good intentions in mind. I was supposed to be Carlisle's son, his protegé, his mirror image. He saw goodness in me that was never really there. The one who created me never anticipated what I would become, how I would utterly reject his peaceful worldview and embrace what I really was: a monster.

We wait in silence for a few moments, when my prey arrives at his last stop. He staggers a bit out of his car and into the front entrance of the bar, already slightly drunk.

"It should be easy to lure him," she says, "Just look at him."

"Don't underestimate him. He's capable of unspeakable things, and he's pretty strong for a human," I say.

Bella sighs heavily and prepares herself mentally for the task at hand. I can sense her nervous energy, smell her fear and hear her racing heart beat. It whets my appetite and makes it hard to concentrate, and I begin anticipating what I will soon be enjoying.

"Go. Now," I say abruptly.

I sit motionless, stalking her with my eyes alone, watching her every move from the car to the door of the bar. It's instinct of the hunter, the only feeling I had left- the animal-like sense at the core of my being where my soul once dwelled. The monster within me was thirsty and Bella is the prey my body craves, but even predators have to make compromises. I watch her through her thoughts, see what she sees. I sense her fear but cannot feel it, my ability to empathize long gone. Bella spots the prey and takes up a seat beside him. He barely acknowledges her at first. She orders herself a drink and he looks over at her. I peer into his twisted thoughts, and sure enough he begins mentally making plans for Bella, plans that end in her being buried in his backyard like however many other girls.

Watching Bella pretend to flirt with this creep I started feeling something I hadn't felt in decades: jealousy. I knew she didn't mean it, I could sense how repulsed she was by him. My jealousy came out of nowhere, it was just a gut reaction. Bella is mine. I waited 2 more excrutiating hours, my rage and thirst building as I watched my prey plying Bella with drink after drink, getting her as weak and vulerable as he possibly could. Bella's thoughts became cloudy and unsteady, her mind wobbly from intoxication. They discussed going back to his place, but it was more of a command than a request from him. Watching him put his filthy hands on my human sent me into a rage. I thought about dragging him behind the bar and finishing him off right then and there. They walked out to the parking lot and I ducked down, still able to hear every word they slurred and every wobbly thought they both had as he started up his car with Bella sitting in the passenger seat. His mind was clearer than hers, the human monster in him hungered for pain and death. I needed to make him suffer for touching my things. Bella is mine. I started up the car, still seething with rage at my prey, playing various torture scenarios in my head. I snapped out of my fantasy when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a flash of red flowing hair and an old, familiar scent. I barely had time to react when I felt her strong hand around my neck pinning me to my seat. "Hello, Edward," said the cold voice from my distant past. Victoria. I watched as the headlights of my would-be victim's car faded into the distance, my human pet slipping away from me.


	4. Chapter 4

I knew this day was coming. Victoria had found me. Part of me wanted her to, if for no other reason, closure. To be finished with what we had once and for all. Even though I had attempted to forget her, she was always in the back of my mind. But now was neither the time nor place.

"Did you think I'd give up on you so easily?" she whispered into my ear, her hands still pinning me down.  
"I'm on a hunt right now," I mumbled, trying to hide how much her little game was annoying me.

Her age and experience made her slightly stronger than me, just strong enough to dominate me physically. She liked that.

"You belong to my coven, Edward. Have you forgotten that?" Victoria growled. "This lone wolf phase you're going through will need to come to an end soon. Or else you will."

In a moment of weakness several years prior, I had made an alliance with Victoria and her coven mates, James and Laurent. It didn't last long for the usual reasons. Victoria's mate James wasn't willing to share her with me, not that I could blame him. But the coven had a need of my abilities so he tolerated our fucking "behind his back" for awhile. Of course nothing is behind anyone's back when it comes to our kind. A fight ensued and rather than rip the entire coven apart, I opted to leave. I was never suited for the family life, as I had realized so many years ago with my first family. They must have had a desperate need of my abilities if Victoria wanted me back.

"Did James help you track me or did you do it all by yourself?" I taunted. "I'm sure he misses me."

"More than you can ever know." said Victoria, loosening her grip on my neck. "We were never stronger than we were with you as part of us. James can be possessive, sure, but he isn't a fool. He knows our survival comes first." Victoria sighed, letting go of me and joining me in the front seat. "While you're out here playing cat and mouse, we're holding down this territory ourselves, just the three of us. What will become of you when a stronger coven moves in and takes over? You think they'll be as accomodating as we have been of your proclivities? What are you even hunting out here alone, Edward? Still toying with human girls?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm not hunting alone. She's my partner tonight," I explained. At that, Victoria let out a deep laugh.

"That? A partner?!" Victoria laughed. "Your dick has you acting delusional, you sick fuck. As if a human could be of any help to us," she scoffed. Victoria was more of a purist when it came to vampire/human relations than I was. "This- what you're doing, isn't what life is meant to be for our kind. Your silly games are a waste of time and a waste of talent. If I were you I'd either turn her or be done with her. Make up your mind - and soon. Or I'll do your choosing for you," she said with a wicked smile.

Now it was my hands gripping her throat. "If you so much as touch her--," I growled. Victoria pushed me away easily, with a disgusted look on her face she exited the car.

"Go play your perverted little games, Edward. And when you're done with this human, kill her or turn her. If history is any indication, you'll dispose of this one like you did the others. Either way, it makes no difference to me. We'll be around and we'll be watching you." Victoria's shadow disappeared from my view. Immediately my mind returned to Bella. I gunned the engine and floored it in the direction of our prey's abode, until I picked up faint traces of thoughts. Racing thoughts. The scent of blood- lots of blood. And only one heartbeat.

It was Bella's.

  
***Author's note: Sorry for the 2+ year break on this story for the few people asking for an update. The next update will be much sooner, I promise. Thanks for reading. :)***


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